But didnt Rachelle have an airtight alibi too? At one point before the fire, before she died, Lauri spoke. Sgt. There they left Lauri unconscious in the vehicle and set it moving unmanned. Realizing she was about to lose custody of her daughters to her ex-husband, Jessica McCord had to do something. Pierce: Lauri wasn't one to go around without people knowing that she was gonna go somewhere. Get an all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! And that's the part that bothered me the most. Some of the jurors cried as the deadlock was announced, frustrated they weren't able to reach a verdict. Thank you so much for supporting The Wicked Truth! February 9, 2015 by Leila Khiery - KRBD, Ketchikan. The longest nights of winter in Craig can last almost 15 hours and has recorded a low temperature at almost -80 degrees Fahrenheit, although the average winter temp is between 18 and 44 degrees. Rachelle Waterman, 17, is on trial, accused of murder and conspiracy to commit murder in the November 2004 death of her mother, 48-year-old Lauri Waterman. Don Martelli, Sr.: Far as she's concerned, it's gone and forgotten. She admitted it. Paradise to some, yet the beauty of the fishing village of Craig, Alaska on Prince of Wales Island is surpassed only by its isolation. 25 stock photos on the topic rachelle waterman are available for licensing. Authorities later confirmed that the allegations of abuse were unfounded. On the floorboard behind the front seat was a pile of ash and a human skull. I don't think I can answer that.Larson: What do you think your mom would want you to do with regards to your sister?Geoffrey Waterman: Love her. Don Pierce, friend of the Waterman family: He called about 3:00 in the afternoon to ask if Lauri was at our house. And when it came to the fatal night in question, Jason testified that Rachelle not only told him how to break into the house. Rachelle says she knew that no one would believe her stories of abuse no one but Brian Radel and Jason Arrant. Arrant: She said that she thought it would be better if her mother wasn't around anymore.Steven West, prosecutor: Did you ask her what she meant by that?Jason Arrant: Oh, yes.West: And what was her response?Arrant: That she thought it would be better if her mother was dead. She appeared to be a normal, high-achieving junior in high school. And I said I, you know, I just - I didn't do a lot of talking, I did a lot of listening, because I didn't know what to do. Rachelle: I didn't think they had the balls to do it. Jason Arrant: She gave us the way to get into the house.Wells: Which was?Jason Arrant: It was through a basement window. Several podcast episodes have been devoted to Rachelle Waterman, including Forensic Transmissions, Murder and Mystery in the Last Frontier, Moms and Murder, and more. On the night of November 14, 2004, Lauri Waterman was abducted from her home in the tiny town of Craig, on the idyllic Prince of Wales Island off Alaska's panhandle coast, and murdered. Powered by WordPress.com VIP. Arrant: I said, Well yeah, it's uh, we did it; it's done. And she asked what happened to the minivan and I said it had been burned, it was completely destroyed. Craig has one elementary school, one middle school, and one high school, with an attendance of approximately 800 students in an average school year. But as revealed in the next episode of People Magazine Investigates, airing Monday night on Investigation Discovery, beneath the surface of Rachelles life there was tension. Waterman's father, others defend her at murder retrial In the summer before the murder, Rachelle took up a job at a local computer store. When a woman ended up murdered, police suspected someone she knew was behind it but the culprit was even closer to home than they thought. Well, Im grounded, Rachelle posted on June 14, 2004, five months before Lauris killing. Probably think she never cusses or anything. They also argued that the harsh police interrogation was not proper as Rachelle was too young to understand her Miranda rights fully. Brian is nothing but a loser who was trying to get in teenage panties. 'People Magazine Investigates' : Tracking Down the Man Who Allegedly Killed Mom of Two Joy Hibbs in 1991, 'I Need You to Shoot Him': Girl, 11, Was Forced by Her Mom to Kill Abusive Stepfather, Lone Survivor of 1984 Colorado Hammer Killer Attack Misses the Family He Stole: 'Inside I Cry Every Day', Minn. She Murdered Her Own Mom as a Teen, Now She Blogs Covid-19 - Medium Doc and the couple's children were all out of the house the weekend Lauri was killed. Brian, per Jason, all but said the words Sure, why not? and they began developing a plan for murder. The shelves of the "Teen Zone," the young adult section of the Hamilton East Public Library, are . Setting up an account with the free blog platform LiveJournal, Rachelle gave it a name that left nothing to the imagination about its content: "My Crappy Life." Let us know what you're seeing and hearing around the community. Around age 15 or 16, Rachelle met and briefly dated Brian Radel, who was then in his early 20s. Mar 08, 2006; Juneau, AK, USA; RACHELLE WATERMAN, the 17-year-old Alaska honor student accused of plotting with two former boyfriends to kill her mother, with her father, CARL . Due to the severity of the charges, Waterman has been waived into adult court. Please support us by subscribing or making a contribution. She signed an agreement to be placed into the general population. When the other sergeant re-enters the room, Rachelle's attitude changes again. And it's not helping you any. Three days after her disappearance, it was confirmed: the remains were Lauri Waterman's. She went willingly, without her father or a lawyer, and with a camera rolling, Rachelle tells them she had nothing to do with the murder but does acknowledge that she had been fighting with her mom about her clothes, her interest in the occult, and her boyfriends. Radel: I crouched down in front of her and said something along the lines of, You won't ever f---ing hurt Rachelle again.. She would then get to leave Craig with Arrant. This appeal failed because of legislative mandates that say after a persons 20th birthday, that person must be charged in adult court, even if they were only 16 at the time of the crime. The NBC series Fatal Frontier: Evil in Alaska featured a 2021 episode about the Waterman caseepisode five of season one is called "Murder on the Island." IBEW Local 1547 members are committed to getting the job done. He had what appeared to be a self-inflicted scratch on his throat," Claus explained. If she had been charged with negligent homicide when she was 16, she wouldnt even have been eligible to have her case taken to adult court. Anjette Lyles was known for her good cooking, but no one could have suspected the deadly recipes she was brewing up for her loved ones. With a little more prodding, Jason finally admitted that Rachelle was aware of the murder plan that was to take place. Why would a 16-year-old girl, who had just lost her mother, to murder nonetheless, write such a cold, uncaring statement so devoid of any emotion? There are no fast food franchises such as McDonalds, just locally owned joints with names like The Baitbox. Book banning policy leads to bare teen shelves at Hamilton - USA Today Papas Pizza serves as the alternative to Dominos. After binding her arms, they led her to the kitchen where they forced her to drink an entire bottle of wine, since a final act of the murder was to make it appear to be a drunken driving accident. The e-mails addressed to Narcissa, Rachelle's e-mail name - were sexually graphic. She was found guilty of negligent homicide and sentenced to three years in prison. Rachelle Waterman is 34 years old and was born on 08/26/1988. Growing tired of their search and nearing sunrise, they finally decided on a rutty, rarely traveled road primarily used by logging trucks. Jason testified that Rachelle told him she wanted her mother dead, and the two of them had discussed various murder plots. Rachelle: She has raised a knife to me. It's the only book about this case and thus recommended for anyone looking for more in-depth information about Rachel Waterman, her family, or the two young men who were willing to kill for the attention of a teenage girl. about this case. *Editors Note: An earlier version of this story said the appealwas denied by the Alaska Supreme Court. Defense attorneys for Brian argued that Jason was a child predator who groomed Rachelle, plied her with cigarettes and alcohol, and ultimately killed her meddling mother all by himself. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. If convicted, she was looking at a prison term of 99 years. Rachelle Waterman Claimed Her Mother Abused Her - NBC So thats one year and four months, thats 16 months.Since she got a three-year sentence, that means that she has to do roughly another eight months in custody unless for some reason shes not given good time.. To a continental U.S. urbanized mother, a daughters obsession with black clothing and piercings is usually viewed as a freedom of expression of ones self, but in snowy-white Craig, Alaska, a goth sticks out like a snowman on the 101 Freeway in Los Angeles. 30-something TBI survivor + storyteller powered by caffeine & my feline overlords https://medium.com/@fatimhemraj/membership, https://medium.com/@fatimhemraj/membership. Residents of Craig, Alaska adored Rachelle's mother, Lauri, who was active in her church, worked as a teacher's aide . Rachelle told Jason and Brian that her mother would be home alone, and left the front door unlocked. Larson: Did you wind up thinking he's the great manipulator here?Demars: Yes.Larson: He's the liar.Demars: Oh, yeah.Larson: And he's pulling strings both ways, both with Brian and with Rachelle.Demars: Yes. This is my warning to all of you. ET) on Investigation Discovery. People in the small Alaskan village of Craig were shocked by the brutal murder of Lauri Waterman and the arrest of two young locals who quickly confessed to the killing. In it, Rachelle called home "Hell, Alaska." If you are interested to know more about Rachelle and where she is now, we have got you covered. Rachelle Ann Waterman, 34 - Gainesville, FL - MyLife.com Brian stated that Jason asked him to kill Lauri and that Rachelle had often complained to him about her mother's abuses. Additional charges of solicitation, conspiracy, tampering with physical evidence and other charges are pending. And Jason says, Well, I can take care of that.. (ANCHORAGE) - Susan Parkes, Deputy Attorney General for the Criminal Division of the Alaska Department of Law, announced today that the State filed a notice of appeal this week in State of Alaska v. Rachelle Waterman. Pretty decent article, if you dont live here. Lauri in particular was described as thoughtful "and helpful, so eager to give help," by her friend Victoria Merritt. The judge decided that Rachelle should be moved to Juneau for a fair trial after her arrest. The same charges the two men who killed her mother faced. The trial started out in adult court because 16 and 17-year-olds must be tried as adults if facing murder charges, which she was before she was acquitted. She was released from prison in 2015 and remains on probation. Her world was crumbling down. Let's say you had gotten away with it.Brian Radel: Gotten away with it? Join Facebook to connect with Rachel Waterman and others you may know. Brian and Jason both testified in Rachelles trial. "It didnt seem like she got any accountability for what she masterminded and made happen. Murder In The Family: Rachelle Waterman convicted of negligent homicide Kelly Demars, juror: Jason.Dan Reierson, juror: Jason.Andrea Jones, juror: Jason.Larson: Jason? The Waterman family is a locally prominent, middle-upper class family. She wrote that her mother was critical of her weight. This page was last edited on 15 December 2022, at 02:16. Police then asked him if he would wear a wire to help gather evidence on his friend and the plan worked. Lingit Aani Kaa Kei Nas.ax Haa Yoo Xatangi. Family and friends could not believe it -- Lauri Waterman was loved in town, always the first to volunteer and the last to leave when a job needed to be finished. Prosecutors argued early on that Rachelle played a crucial part in her mothers death, saying she led the two men to believe the mother abused Rachelle, and that Rachelle wanted her mother dead. Radel: I felt pressured that I needed to protect Rachelle. Because I know my sister, I know what she's done for her family. He was also Rachelles boyfriend. A 2006 trial ended in a hung jury. The car investigators had found was clearly a Chrysler minivan. We weren't even sure it was Lauri and she was beside herself. The Fairbanks Daily News-Miner reported that, "the complaint against Rachelle Waterman relied on statements by all three co-defendants. It was murder," Claus told producers. Both men fell in love with Rachelle and over time, she shared stories about life in the Waterman home, a life, she said, far different from what it seemed. Her daughter Rachelle an honor student and athlete at the local high school was 400 miles away in Anchorage, playing in a volleyball tournament. Brian told police he'd briefly had a sexual relationship with Rachelle when she was just 15 years old and when that ended, he set her up with his best friend Jason. Rachelle, then 16, was a student-athlete who sang in the school choir, played volleyball and competed in an academic decathlon. Got a correction? Jason then confided in his friend, Brian, and together the duo decided to get rid of Lauri Waterman. To get a better understanding of Lauri and her familys life, you must first know about where they lived. She is being retried on . The Murder of Lauri Waterman - Killer Queens: A True Crime Podcast So they drove to another location, doused the inside of the van with gasoline -- with Lauri's body inside -- and lit it. A retrial was held in 2011, and she was only convicted of criminally negligent homicide and sentenced to three years in prison. On the night of November 14, 2004, Lauri Waterman finally had the house to herself. But the most dramatic testimony in the trial came when prosecutor west called to the stand the other killer -- Brian Radel. After the failure of the latest appeal, the three-year jail sentence stood. Everyone knows everyone here. High 53F. And the prosecution played its trump card, Rachelle's taped interrogations, which they said proved she was involved in the plot. A story that included tales of abuse, prostitution, even witchcraft. Rachelle Waterman Now: Where is Lauri Waterman's Daughter Today? Update Don Martelli, Sr., Rachelles grandfather: She would help me with the projects I had around the yard. She had just returned from a Chamber of Commerce event and was looking forward to the solidarity of home. Geoffrey Waterman, Lauri Watermans son: She was loving. Ill receive a small commission if you become a member with my referral link. It was disgusting," Merritt told producers. Residents of Craig, Alaska were already reeling from news of a beloved mother abducted from her own home and murdered in the middle of the night, but no one could have prepared them for what came next. Get mom out of the way so he could be with Rachelle. Dianne Masters wanted to divorce her husband Alan Masters, a powerful Chicago attorney, but he had too much to lose to let her out of the marriage alive. One of the last entries in Rachelle's journal wonders whether anyone is reading her comments (verbatim spelling): Although Waterman has not yet been convicted, sociologists and forensic psychologists are beginning to study her journal and the circumstances of her writing it. Appeals court denies Rachelle Waterman appeal. Jason said that Rachelle was the one who told him that she wanted her mother dead, and he, in turn, asked Brian to carry out the murder for him. Still, it was only after repeated interrogation that Jason broke and confessed to being involved in the murder of Lauri Waterman. However, Arrant said he and Radel believed it, although he claimed he was simply Radel's driver. Waterman was a teenager in . 30 minutes into a police interrogation, she confessed. Rachelle Waterman was 16 when her two boyfriends beat her mother to death and framed the murder to look like a car wreck. Sgt. Clark also appointed a public defender to represent Rachelle, who was sent to the Juneau Department of Corrections facility. 2023 Cinemaholic Inc. All rights reserved. The next day, the presiding judge tossed out the indictment and declared the videotaped confession inadmissible because troopers had failed to properly answer her questions about her needs for an attorney. February 6, 2015. When interviewed by Alaskan television station KTUU about the nature of online journals, (in late November, 2004) forensic psychologist Susan LaGrande commented that "[i]t's such an anonymous vehicle that you can be whoever or say whatever you want. On November 13, 2004, Lauri Waterman was beaten to death, and her murder was disguised as a car accident. Its not unusual for underage teen girls to date men in their early twenties in a place like Craig. Corrections Deputy Commissioner Portia Parker indicated that Waterman "is an adult in the eyes of the law." Since then, she has served her prison term and is now a free woman. I know that she's a loving person. But now seemed willing to do anything to get his ex-lover convicted. Jason had long wished to rescue his best girl from such a horrible life and solicited the help of his friend to finally put a stop to it all. You have permission to edit this article. Chance of rain 60%. And then Rachelle heard the rumors spreading like fire through the high school rumors that a van was found in the woods with human remains inside. Why, other than obvious reasons, Lauri was even more adamant than her husband that Rachelle not date Jason, no one will ever know, but she was very vocal with her opinion. McPherron: And then after you knew what had happened --Rachelle: I told them not to do it!Sgt. Sgt. Soon, their focus turned to someone they knew had been a source of friction in the Waterman house -- Rachelle's 24-year-old boyfriend, Jason Arrant. Today. Dad: No idea about interrogation plan for daughter This page is archived, and is no longer publicly editable. With suspicions growing, the police were able to break both Jason and Brian under interrogation. A story about an Alaskan teenager who imagined and told stories of wild things - even murder. Investigation Discoverys People Magazine Investigates: The Darkest of Nights chronicles the brutal murder and the subsequent investigation, which revealed the role of Lauris daughter, Rachelle, in the gruesome crime. And it was Jason, Rachelle says, who first suggested a deadly solution. Brian Radel was arrested on Nov. 18, 2004 and charged with murder. Rachelle Waterman, now 22, is on trial, accused of plotting with the men to kill her mother. I don't need Money -to be Rich, I don't need . According to it she is based in Florida though more information about her is currently unavailable. "My whole family is going to hate me," she cried in the tape. Other than sporadic employment, Brian roamed aimlessly, living in the moment. The basis of Watermans appeal is that the then-16-year-old girl, should not have been judged based on the standard of care one would expect from an adult in a similar situation. IE 11 is not supported. He also testified that Rachelle helped them get rid of evidence like fingerprints or marks from her house. Rachelle also alleged to Jason that her mother was verbally and physically abusing her because of her choices in clothes, boyfriends, and her recent liking of Wicca. Arrant: She mentioned that a good window of opportunity would be coming up, when she would be going up north for volleyball, and when her dad would also be gone from the home. Eventually, though, she finally confessed and admitted the abuse was "pretty much lies," Claus said. Instead, she was sad about the minivan getting destroyed as she wont inherit it. She was so cold during her interviews, I cannot believe she got off so easy. Jason was a 24-year-old high school janitor who lived in his mothers basement. And, the defense took on what looked like the most damning evidence: Rachelle's taped confession. But even the Watermans' best friends say they doubt Rachelle will ever be welcome back in Craig, Alaska, the small village where so many loved her mother. And yet Dan Reierson: I felt she was definitely involved.Larson: Involved how?Reierson: Involved in the fact that she probably at one point did say, I want my mom dead. But you know, Ive heard my own sister say, I want my mom dead.. Rachelle Waterman was charged with first degree murder, conspiracy and five other counts in the killing of her mother and could face up to 99 years in prison if convicted. The Alaska Court of Appeals ruled in February to deny the appeal of a Craig woman who was found guilty of negligent homicide for actions that led to her mothers murder in 2004. Crime News is your destination for true crime stories from around the world, breaking crime news, and information about Oxygen's original true crime shows and documentaries. And I just started - shaking. Low 42F. It was later revealed that the men were, for all intents and purposes, instigated by Lauris daughter, Rachelle. By Becca van Sambeck Lauri Waterman Didn't Approve of Her Daughter's Friends 1:11 Exclusive Investigators Found a Letter of Apology from Lauri to Rachelle Waterman Now Playing Exclusive It didn't take police long to suspect that Radel Arrant or both men had something to do with the murder. Those who knew Lauri insisted she would never hurt her daughter and that Rachelle was simply enraged over her disapproval understandably, Lauri didnt like the fact that the teen was in a relationship with a 24-year-old man. For more on this case and others like it, watch"Fatal Frontier: Evil In Alaska," airing Sundays at 7/6c on Oxygenor stream episodes here. Dr. Beyer: They can't think like an adult because they don't have an adult brain. But she is absolutely a sociopath. Watermans attorneys argued that juveniles brains are not yet fully developed, which affects their judgment, impulse control and appreciation of consequences. Investigators quickly became suspicious of Rachelle. There would have been no way that could happen. Rachelle Waterman's attorney, Steven Wells, said Monday that a state court judge granted Waterman's request earlier this month to remain free on bond, pending an appeal. Furthermore, he stated that Rachelle was not worried about her mother. The jurors struggled over the significance of the interrogation video, sorting through all those conflicting stories Rachelle told. Doc called his best friend and next door neighbor Don Pierce. Waterman was found guilty in a 2011 retrial of criminally negligent homicide for telling two men she had been dating that she wanted her mother dead, and then failing to warn her mother or alert authorities when she found out that the two men were, indeed, planning to kill Lauri Waterman. Rachelle Waterman Profiles | Facebook They became friends, playing Dungeons and Dragons together, and she eventually met and started dating Arrant.This caused a lot of concern for her family, as Arrant was 25 when he was dating the 16-year old. 30 minutes into the interrogation, clearly shaken, the 16-year-old hides her face, as the trooper accuses her of doing nothing to stop her mother's murder. Arrant was a janitor and a Marine Corps dropout. They were anxious to question Rachelle about her most recent (and most talked about) blog entry, which read: Just to let everyone know, my mother was murdered. Rachelle appealed on the basis that a 16-year-old should not have been judged as an adult. A murder so brutal, and different because it may have begun as the fantasy of a teenage girl. The two men soon confessed and poured out the horrific details of the murder. In exchange for testifying against the alleged mastermind of the crime, Rachelle, Brian received 99 years for being the actual killer. Randy McPherron (interrogation video): A little exaggeration there and a little overacting there - here, can have some dire consequences, right? And when Doc and Rachelle returned home that afternoon they discovered Lauri and the family van were gone. "You don't need to question everything I say," Rachelle responded.